


I Don't Mind

by Stromboli



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Family, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-26
Updated: 2013-12-26
Packaged: 2018-01-06 06:28:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1103546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stromboli/pseuds/Stromboli
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sokka drops in on Toph and baby Lin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Don't Mind

"Door's unlocked, Sokka," Toph called before the councilman could even knock. Sokka grinned and opened the door into her apartment. She might be blind, but Toph liked to remind people that she was hardly sightless.  
  
Inside, Sokka found her lying on the floor next to her ten month old daughter Lin. Her fingers moved in graceful patterns as she shaped her bit of space earth into tiny people and made them dance. Lin clapped and giggled brightly, her clear green eyes shining with delight. When she saw Sokka, the baby smiled, showing her pearly teeth, and babbled conversationally at him.  
  
"Hello Lin," Sokka said, smiling back at her, "My goodness, but you're getting big." She crawled over to him, no longer interested in her mother's game.  Little hands grabbed fistfuls of his pants leg as she pulled herself into a standing position. "And strong, too!"  
  
"Well, what did you expect from a Bei Fong?" Toph chuckled, bending the space metal back into its band around her arm. "So, what brings you here, O Grand Councilman?"  
  
"I was in the neighborhood." Toph smiled. The Council Building was five blocks from Toph's apartment, and Sokka's home was another four blocks beyond that, yet he somehow managed to find himself  _in the neighborhood_  with increasing regularity. Sokka scooped Lin into his arms as Toph got to her feet and dusted herself off. She was dressed only in the sleeveless undershirt and leggings she wore under her uniform. "I thought you were taking a day off today," Sokka said, scrutinizing her outfit.  
  
"I was," said Toph as she stretched. "But I just got a call about some waterbender gang making trouble last night. Word on the street is that they had a bloodbender."  
  
Sokka's brow furrowed. "Bloodbenders? Last night?" The full moon was still days away.  
  
"I know, it seems unlikely. But we've gotta look into it. You know how people get at the mention of bloodbending." She reached out and curled a lock of Lin's shiny black hair around her finger. "I was just going to take her over to Katara and then head in to the station."  
  
"I'm not doing anything today. You want me to take her?" The ferry ride to and from the Air Temple would cost her at least an hour, and Sokka knew Toph hated sailing almost as much as she hated flying.  
  
Toph laughed. "What? And deny Katara the chance to ask me fifty questions about my health and tell me a dozen times that she's always there to help?" She gripped Sokka's shoulder. "Thank you. I'd appreciate it."  
  
Lin reached up to tap her mother's face for attention. "Ma-ma," she said. "Ma, ma-ma."

  
"That's right, mama's going to work now, sweetie." Toph kissed her forehead and smoothed her hair. "You get to go play with Kya and Bumi and Tenzin." Lin squirmed in Sokka's arms, turning to him and tugging on his goatee.  
  
"Da," Lin said, smiling at him. "Da-da-da."  Toph's eyes widened in surprise, and she spluttered, "Oh, no, honey, Sokka's not–" She sighed and covered her mouth with her hand. What point was there in trying to explain the situation to a baby? Sokka, on the other hand, chuckled.  
  
"It's alright. She can call me "da" if she wants." He looked at Toph, somewhat abashed, "I mean, unless you'd rather…"  
  
Toph's mouth twitched in a small smile. She let her hair swing over her face to cover her flush as she said, a little gruffly, "I, uh… No. I don't mind."

**Author's Note:**

> This is my favorite Tokka fic that I've written. Proof being, I can still go back and read it a year and a half later and not cringe. I thought it'd make a good debut over here.  
> Originally posted to FF.net June 18,2012


End file.
